Saturday, December 17, 2011

"It's the most wonderful time of the year." song lyrics



In the Dickeyville area of Baltimore, five friends meet and bond. They form a group they refer to as the five arms of a starfish. Composing the group are Gwen, the Halloran brothers, Sean, Tim and Go Go and the other girl in the group, Mickey Wyckoff.

They lived in a quiet, middle-class neighborhood where parents permitted the children to play without monitoring their activities.

The story moves from events in the late 1970s to current time.

In the current time, Gwen returns home to care for her elderly father who has broken his hip in a fall. While home, she meets Sean Halloran who informs her that his brother, Go Go has died, from suicide.

We learn about the character's lives since their teenage years. Gwen is married to Karl, a successful surgeon who seems mainly interested in himself, not in her accomplishments as a magazine editor. She realizes that she doesn't want to live in a home where her husband is the only thing that matters.

In 1978, the five friends often played in Leaken Park and while exploring one day, they came upon an abandoned cabin that was now the dwelling of a black homeless man. They refer to this man as Chicken George because of the chickens he keeps around the cabin. They become casual friends of this man who often disappears for long periods.

During the summer of 1978, Gwen and Sean were dating and in her bedroom when Mickey and Go Go travel to the cabin and become involved in something with Chicken George.

We learn different sides to this event which has a major effect on the group and ends their childhood innocence.

The story is described at a leisurely pace to match the uncomplicated life the characters had. The dialog shows the changes from when the characters were young to their maturity in contemporary times. This is an achievement that not that many authors are able to manage.

The novel is entertaining as we see the development of the characters and their parents as they deal with the incident and concludes in a manor that leaves the reader saddened that the innocence of childhood is such a fleeting thing.




















22 comments:

Kym McNabney said...

Mike, thanks for the great review. I'll have to place this one on my wish list.

mamabunny13 said...

Please enter me in this giveaway.
I follow via gfc - mamabunny13
I clicked yes on your Amazon review.

mamabunny13 at gmail dot com

Natalie W said...

Sounds like an interesting read. I'd love to enter.
Commented and clicked the yes button on your Amazon review.
Nataliew2@gmail.com

nicolesender said...

Follow you on twitter @minibea & fb: Nicole Sender
Read your review on Amazon and checked yes and also wrote a comment.
nicolesender(at)yahoo(dot)com

Sheri W said...

Great review!!
I am following you on all your sites. I also liked the review on amazon.
SheriWilkinson@hotmail.com

Marcus H said...

Hey Mike,

Follow the blog and clicked yes on amazon review.
Thanks! Marcus(dot)Hammond46(at)gmail(dot)com

Unknown said...

In my comment on your Amazon review, I said that in my opinion, coming of age type stories are hard to write. They often leave me feeling like something is lacking. This one, however, seems to be well developed and interesting. Thanks, as always, for this opportunity to read it.
Cyndi (aka Small Footprints)
reducefootprints at gmail dot com

Unknown said...

Sounds intriguing. Voted.

mylife.onestoryatatime@yahoo.com

Nathalanes Place said...

Hi, I am a follower of your blog,
I voted yes to your review on Amazon,

recupefashion@hotmail.com

I've done all the entries you asked to do,

thanks for the giveaway

Connie said...

Hi! Thanks for the great giveaway as always. I said yes to your review. :)

aliasgirl1976@yahoo.com

Unknown said...

Thanks for the giveaway. I said yes this review was help. Please enter me in contest. I am a follower and email subscriber. Tore923@aol.com

druidgirl said...

Thanks for the giveaway. I answered yes to the review being helpful.

mom2000_18@yahoo.com

Anonymous said...

Hi Mike. Thanks for your email. I've followed you on Twitter and subscribed via Google Groups (which I've never done before.) I've also left feedback on your review.

Thanks for the giveaway.

aj2185@gmail.com

In Julie's Opinion said...

Wow! This sounds like another good book by Laura, and I'd love to win a copy!

I did A and B, and my email addy is jwitt33 at live dot com :)

AEKZ2 said...

GFC follower.
I selected yes on amazon.
Thank you for your review and giveaway.

annettekz2@yahoo.com

dollycas aka Lori said...

great review! now I really want this book, lol.

lori at escapewithdollycas dot com

follow
yes your review and a couple others.

Unknown said...

Great review, Mike! I would love to participate in this giveaway. I have taken the steps above.

fullmoonbites [at] gmail [dot] com

Johanna said...

As always, awesome review!

LorettaLynn said...

Hi, thank you for sharing this book with us:) Ive done all you asked. Look's like agood book

elliott2668(at)yahoo(dot)com

Funtimes2002 said...

Thanks for the giveaway! I followed the steps listed:
Clicked yes on Amazon review
Followed your blog as fanofasymmetry

smann81@gmail.com

Unknown said...

Sounds like a great read! I'm looking forward to checking it out!

elizabeth @ bookattict . com

"Yes" on Amazon Review: BookAttict
GFC: BookAttict

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